A scene from 'Barney’s Version'. Courtesy eOne Films.
Celebrating the best in Canadian film, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced their nominees for the 31st annual Genie Awards today, and Barney’s Version, the adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s beloved novel, has come out as leader with 11 nominations, including Best Picture. It’s competing for film of the year against Oscar nominee Incendies, sci-fi film Splice, Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats (Les amours imaginaires), and Daniel Grou’s 10 1/2.
Paul Giamatti, who won the Golden Globe for his role as Barney Panofsky, is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, along with co-stars Dustin Hoffman (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role), Rosamund Pike (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role), and Minnie Driver (Best Supporting Actress in a Supporting Role). Sadly, Scott Speedman, who gave a brilliant performance as Barney’s friend Boogie (and is actually a Canadian), was snubbed for his work in the film.
Barney’s Version director Richard J. Lewis and writer Michael Konyves also have nominations for Achievement in Direction and Adapted Screenplay.
The special Golden Reel Award, awarded to the highest grossing Canadian film of the year, will be handed out to Resident Evil: Afterlife for pulling in over $7 million at the Canadian box office, and over $280 million worldwide (it also beat Meatballs to become the highest grossing Canadian film of all time). And Jephté Bastien will receive the Claude Jutra Award, given to a first-time filmmaker, for his film Exit 67 (Sortie 67).
The 31st Annual Genie Awards will be broadcast live on the CBC from the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, March 10. For a full list of nominees, visit genieawards.ca.
